Figure 8
Worldwide and U.S. Maritime Industry Ton-Miles: 1995-2007

Figure 8
Worldwide and U.S. Maritime Industry Ton-Miles: 1995-2007

SOURCE:
U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology
Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based on data from
various sources.
World-United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Review of Maritime Transport,
various issues, available at www.unctad.org/rmt as of Oct. 3, 2009.
United States-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States 2007, Table 1-6, available at www.iwr.usace.army.mil as of
Oct. 2, 2009.

During the past decade, the demand for maritime freight services, as measured by ton-miles,
grew faster globally than for U.S. international freight. From 1995 to 2007, global maritime
ton-miles grew at an average annual rate of 4 percent. Ton-miles grew less than 1 percent for
the United States over the same period.

Global ton-miles grew faster as China and other countries increased oil imports from places
other than the Middle East (e.g., Angola) and increased purchases of dry bulk cargo (e.g.,
iron ore) from South America (UNCTAD 2008).